The Pain of The Fox
by Arbil
Summary: Take a look into the Kyubi's past. You may expect to find bloodshed, but would you expect to find a woman? Why did he destroyed the Konoha? The answer to all this lies in the secret Kyubi will now tell Naruto.
1. The Beginning

Author's note: Hiya people! This the first time I'm attempting a fic so please don't kill me if it turns out all wrong! For your information, this is like a prequel to Three For Three so if you read that you'll know what I'm writing here. The time frame is almost same, three or so months before the arrival of the Suiren sisters. It focuses on Kyubi and his lover so I hope I do this right. Ja, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But I *thwack!* WE own the storyline.

"…" –talk

[…] thoughts and inner monologue

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Chapter 1: The Beginning

Naruto's POV

I jerked into a sitting up position, shivering from the memory of the nightmare. I was drenched in sweat but it felt eerily cold in my room. The nightmare was stuck on my mind like it was printed in my head. [There was this blond guy, with spiky hair…I don't remember his face. And there was a woman, she had dark brown hair…and … she was really pretty.] I remembered her laughing, then I saw that woman dead on the ground. Her lifeless body triggered some sort of emotion in me. Triggered _in _me but I was not the one feeling it. I shook off my inexplicable fear and went to wash up.

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"Ch'kuso! I lost!" I pouted. Sasuke smirked, triumphant. "Of course you did, dobe." "Don't call me dobe, you bastard." I mumbled. For some reason, I couldn't really concentrate. That dream was still bothering me. "Naruto, are you okay?" I snapped out of my reverie. Sakura-chan looked at me, slightly concerned. I smiled wide, "I'm fine, Sakura-chan!" "That's enough sparring for today." Kakashi-sensei disappeared with a poof. I stretched and suddenly heard my stomach growl. Time for ramen!

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At Ichiraku

When I arrived at Ichiraku, Shikamaru and his friends were already there. Chouji and Kiba sat at the counter, slurping their ramen. Shikamaru sat beside his best friend, with his girlfriend Ino flanking his other side. "Ossan, give me a miso ramen." I plunked into my seat beside Chouji. "Heroonarutokurn." "Hey guys." "You looked pissed." Shikamaru stated flatly. "I lost to Sasuke during training today." Shikamaru grunted. The waiter placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of me. I dug in.

"Dozo, o kyaku-san." I turned to see Gaara and his siblings entering the shop. "Hey, Gaara!" The redhead looked up and I noticed the small smile tugging at his lips. He approached me, "Why," he started "am I never surprised to see you here?" "Because he's a real ramen freak." A guy with face paint said while adjusting his puppet. "That has got to be a 24/7 obsession." Gaara's elder sister pushed her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and touched her huge fan. "Hi, Temari, Kankuro." I turned back to my ramen and resumed eating. I finished my ramen and after hanging out for a while, I went home. Once in the familiar surroundings, I showered and went to bed.

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[Huh? Where am I?] I looked around, trying to recall what happened. [This kinda looks familiar.] I moved towards the trees, still trying to figure out where I was. Suddenly, I caught sight of two people in front of me. I quickly hid behind a tree. [I-It's that woman with brown hair! And the blond!] I strained my ears to catch their conversation. Then, she turned. I got a glimpse of her dark eyes before my surroundings swirled and turned black. "Nani?! What's happening?" I yelled. I squinted, trying to see around me. I let out a gasp as the woman laid on the ground, unmoving. I felt a surge of emotions, yet none of them belonged to me. "She's dead." I whispered to myself. Just then, I heard a loud roar ripped through the silence. A roar filled with anger and grief and regret. A roar emitted by the blond man that was currently cradling the dead woman's body. He was turning around. . He looked up and then…

I jolted awake. [Damn! Why can't I remember his face?] The same dream as yesterday. The same feeling of dread and fear and frustration. [That was weird. Last dream lasted until I saw the dead body, but this one…] I slapped myself lightly and dragged myself to the bathroom. After a quick breakfast, I rushed to the training ground. I did this everyday if we didn't receive a mission. I was running so quickly I bumped into someone. "Gomen!" I apologized and went to help the elderly man up. He slapped my hand away and glared at me. He got up and walked away as fast as he could. A moment of pain flashed through me.

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"You're late, Naruto." Kakashi-sensei said flatly. I had taken a walk to cool off my hurt feelings and as a result I arrived later than Kakashi-sensei. "Sorry, I woke up late today." I lied and forced a smile onto my face. He simply shrugged. Sasuke eyed me suspiciously and Sakura-chan looked concerned. I ignored them and started training. I felt rather troubled by the old man today and didn't really pay them any attention. I even ignored Sasuke's dobe comment. 

At the end of the day, I wearily said goodbye to them and left. They looked at me worriedly. I trudged my way back to my apartment. [The villagers… they seemed to look so much colder today.] I thought as I glanced at the villagers that passed me by. Upon arriving home, I heaved a sigh of relief. [I'm so tired, I'd better hit the sack.] 

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[I'm here again.] I opened my eyes to find myself in the same place, in my dream. I made my way through the trees and again spied the couple in front of me. It felt so weird. I'm doing the exact same thing but I'm aware of that. Yet I can't seem to do anything else, it's like I was out of my body or something like that. I shuddered as the scene repeated before me. Her death, the feeling of dread and regret. I held my breath, anticipating the moment the man would turn around. I'm going to make sure I see _and_ remember his face this time. And a good look I got. His face contorted with anger, and his eyes.

"Aaahh!" I screamed as I sat up, sweating like a waterfall. I sat in my bed, shivering, not out of cold but out of… fear. [Those eyes, they aren't human.] Only one thing remained in my memory after the dream, and it was the man's eyes. Those red eyes, they blazed with a fury that froze my blood. A gaze filled with such hate that I felt like I was being ripped apart. [What's going on? Why am I having the same dream lately?] I absent-mindedly rubbed my belly as I walked to the bathroom. 

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I walked around the market, not buying anything. Although I hadn't had enough sleep last night, I didn't want to enter slumber land. The eyes still haunt me. Speaking of which, I felt people staring at me. I tried to ignore the looks of hate, fear and disgust they threw at me. [Why, why do they always look at me that way?] I was too deeply in thought to notice where I was going and knocked into a woman. Her belongings fell out of her arms. "Gomen! I wasn't watching where I was going!" I said as I helped picked up her things. The lack of response caused me look up. She was staring at me as though I had grown another head and was backing away. "No, get away." She was mumbling more incoherent things. I stepped nearer wondering what the problem was. Bad move. Suddenly she burst out shrieking "Get away from me kitsune!"

Kitsune. Kitsune. That word struck me like a ton of bricks. I suddenly became aware of all the jeering and hisses around me. Horrified, I took off. I didn't care where I went, I didn't stop to apologize when I bumped into people, I just want to get away from everything. I had somehow wandered into the forest and finally decided to slow down. I stopped under a large tree and sat in a nook between the huge, knotted roots. Fatigue took me over and I drifted off to sleep.

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[Where am I?] I was in the forest, and then I fell asleep and… I squinted, my eyes trying to accustom to the darkness. When it did, I found myself standing in front of a huge cage.

_Where am I? This place, it's kind of familiar._

_What are you doing here, brat?_

_Brat?_

My eyes widen with realization as I whispered the name of what deprived of my parents. The one reason the villagers hate and fear me for.

_Kyubi…_

A/N: De, how was it? Pretty boring chapter, right? Don't worry, I'll try to do better. In fact, I think the next chapters are much more interesting. I had no ideas on how to introduce Kyubi into the scene! Please review. Flame me if you want, tell me if it sucks and where it went wrong. It's good advice and I appreciate it.


	2. Florist Meets Fox

Author's Note: What do you think of the first chapter? I was hoping, praying desperately that it wouldn't suck. Anyhow, I'm going on ahead with the second chapter. But before that, I'd like to thank **Shadow Eclipse** and **babowonsuni **for reviewing. The story, as you said is still under construction so it might get better. You two are my lifesavers! I was expecting no reviews, or loads saying I suck. Back to the story! By the way, I'm changing the POV to 3rd person.

Disclaimers: I don't own Naruto. Oh, such a pity… 

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

= = = change of scene of time

Chapter Two: Florist Meets Fox

_Kyubi…_

_What are you doing here?_

Naruto flinched inwardly. The Kyubi's animalistic voice was something like a cross between a growl and a hiss, the coldness in his tone sent shivers down his spine. However, Naruto didn't let it show. Getting over his shock, a sudden rage swelled up in him. He was standing in front of the thing that made his life miserable. He raised his fist and brought them down on the bars of the cage.   

_Why?! Why did you have to come? Why did you have to attack the village? Why did you have to be sealed in me, of all people?! Why?_

Kyubi kept silent as he listened to Naruto release the long strings of questions that he had always asked. 

_Answer me, dammit! _ 

_……_

_If you hadn't destroyed half the village and killed all those people then I won't have to endure all the loneliness, all the hate! Because of you, I had to go through years of pain! Do you have any idea how it feels like? Kuso, say something!_

Slowly, a pair of eyes opened to him. Red slits met sky blue orbs.

_Do you really want to know?_

The voice lost its cold edge and it questioned Naruto with his piercing gaze. Undaunted, Naruto glared defiantly into the red eyes. The silence grew thicker as the staring contest continued. Suddenly there were scraping, shuffling sounds and the Kyubi revealed his head to Naruto. The latter held his ground, a dark feeling warning him to be cautious.

_Brat, how badly do you want to know?_

_Very! If I'm going to be hated for what you did, I want to know why!_

Kyubi fixed the boy in his gaze, from the orange jumpsuit to the determined look on his face. Naruto was right, he should know. He_ deserved_ to know. Kyubi smirked lightly. Looks like Naruto had grown on him, however much he denied it.

_Very well then. _

Naruto trusted the Kyubi enough to relax a little. He sat down and waited for Kyubi to continue.

_I will tell you why I attacked this village. I…will tell you about my past. Better feel honoured brat, 'cause you're the first to know. _

Kyubi laughed softly. Naruto stiffened, not out of fear, but rather at the bitterness in Kyubi's voice. After a moment's silence, Kyubi resumed talking.

_The reason I'm stuck inside of you, of all I did, was because of her…_

_Her?_

_The one and only human being that loved me for what I am._

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Kyubi's Flashback.

Kyubi wandered out of his cave, his fur bristling at the cold morning air. The Kyubi no Kitsune was a protector of the Konoha, a nine-tailed demon fox. For many years he had kept the village safe from other demons, stories of its power kept them away. But being different from the villagers meant that he was discriminated. Years of experience taught him that humans fear and shun things they do not understand, things that are different from them. They saw him as a dangerous existence that kept at bay, lurking in the forest, waiting to pounce on them at the most unlikely moment.

Kyubi had never tried to breach the security of the village and that earned him a sort of trust. There was an unspoken agreement that they will not threaten him or enter his territory and Kyubi the same. But there were days when he felt bored and wanted a little social contact and he would go to the village under disguise. And today was one of those days. He looked around, making sure no ninjas or whatsoever was hanging about. "Transform!" (A/N: The Kyubi doesn't really uses jutsus, does he? I know he's got loads of chakra but then he's not a ninja so I think he uses kitsune skills.) After the smoke cleared, gone was the Kyubi and in its place stood a young man. He had a headful of blond hair and startling red eyes. In his human form, Kyubi walked out of the forest and entered the peaceful village of Konoha. 

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The village bustled with activities as the morning grew late. Kyubi walked around, not doing much. The people who passed him either ignored him or gave him a polite smile. He would smile back. He liked it.  He had learned the way that humans live, so his disguise was perfect. Nobody knew he was the demon. He continued walking until he was standing in front of a flower shop. Kyubi knew this was the only flower shop in the village and he liked to see the beauty of the flora decorating the shop. Every time he came to the village he would look at the flowers but never entered the shop.

Suddenly, his gaze was averted to a young lady coming out of the shop. She held a bunch of carnations and began to arrange them outside the shop. Kyubi just stared at her. He had never quite seen such a beautiful woman like this, with long brown hair framing the angel-like face. Sensing his gaze, she turned to him, smiling. "Can I help you, sir?" He was drawn into those dark eyes and it took a full five seconds for him to register that she was talking to him. "Oh, um, no. Just looking." Suddenly, the Kyubi felt very shy.

Out of the blue, a crash was heard and a cry followed. Instinctively, Kyubi ran inside the shop and caught a pregnant woman before she hit the floor. "Sumire-san!" The woman ran to the pregnant lady, Sumire, panic clearly written on her face. "Sumire-san, daijoubu desu ka?" Sumire nodded, still a little frightened to speak. Kyubi set her on her feet. Sumire let her friend lead her to a seat and sat down. The woman then ran to get a glass of water. "Mou, you should be carefully. If there's anything you want just call for me. If you had fallen, it would have a bad effect on the baby." 

"Sumimasen, would you like me to check if she's okay?" Both women turned to looked at Kyubi, who shifted uncomfortably at the attention. "Onegai shimasu." The woman stepped aside. After a while, Kyubi stood up, announcing that she was fine, just a little stunned. Sumire smiled lightly, "Arigatou gozaimasu." "You're welcome." "Anou, I've never seen you around before. May I know your name?" Kyubi thought quickly and answered, "Tsukishi Kyo." "Yamanaka Sumire." The woman bowed a little, "Watashi wa Shuri desu. Uchiha Shuri. Hajimemashite, Tsukishi-kun."

A/N: Here you are, the second chapter delivered. I hope this one's better. I'm actually using characters from Three For Three. The storyline branched of from there. Those who read that fanfic will know who Shuri is. If you're wondering how I know about the details or why I keep referring to it, for your information, **sachiroyurei** and I are sisters and I mean really. So, this is really our story.     


	3. Where's The Dobe?

A/N: Kyaaah!! I'm so sorry! For those who want to get their reviews in (anonymous) but can't, gomenasai!! I was so surprised when Midnight Fairy told me I should allow anonymous reviews. I'm a newbie here so I had no idea why the reviews can't come in. Then, yesterday when I was logging in, I suddenly had the urge to check my settings. Holy crap, no wonder the reviews are blocked! Thank you, Kami-sama! And thanks to the really,_ really_ nice people who reviewed, **babowonsuni, Midnight Fairy, Ookima and Aleh.** As for the paragraph breaks, I'm not exactly sure what that is, ahehehe ^^; But I'll find out and fix it! Now, on to chapter 3. Have a good time.

Disclaimer: If I own Naruto, I'll be Kishimoto-sensei, who owns it.

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

= = = change of scene and time

Chapter 3: Where's The Dobe?

"Watashi wa Shuri desu. Uchiha Shuri. Hajimemashite, Tsukishi-kun."

[Uchiha?] (A/N: I'll be referring to Kyubi as Kyo so please take note.) Kyo had heard of the famous Uchiha clan and wondered what one of them was doing here. As far as he knew, most of the Uchihas were excellent shinobis. However, Kyo just smiled and nodded. "Anou, I'd like to purchase some flowers." A call rang from the counter. Shuri quickly ran to her service. "Hai!" That left Kyo with the pregnant Sumire. There was a sort of polite silence between, none of them quite knowing what to say. 

The overbearing silence made her uncomfortable, so Sumire decided to break it. "Anou, Tsukishi-kun, are you from around here?" Kyo looked up, "Eto, not really. I…travel around! Though I know some things about this village." "Oh, you travel? Where to?" "Places." "Sou ka?" Again, silence settled in until Kyo finally decided to ask Sumire about something bothering him. "Yamanaka-san, as far as I know, the Uchihas are famous for producing ninja prodigies. Why is…" Kyo trailed off. 

A sigh escaped Sumire. "As you probably know, the Uchiha clan has a special ability, the Sharingan." Kyo nodded. The Sharingan was an ability that developed from the Byakugan and could copy jutsus. "You see, Shuri had not shown any signs of the Sharingan since birth. Her parents thought if they waited a few years, it'll show in time." Sumire continued after a pause, "As it turned out to be, she didn't. The clan started to think of her as a…. a defect. Some Uchihas wanted to banish her away, because she was different. That led to an argument amongst the clan." Sumire sighed and watched as Shuri attended to the shop. "Kono baka. She was too kind…leaving just because she didn't want them to fall apart. I offered to let her stay with me, and she helps me with the flower shop, especially since I'm pregnant." Kyo nodded. [Why does prejudice and bias exist in the world?]

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Meanwhile, back in real time…

[Hn. Why must I do this? Of all people, it had to be me. He could've sent Sakura instead.] Sasuke frowned as he slowly made his way to Naruto's apartment. Kakashi had just made Sasuke walk to Naruto's to inform him about the mission Team 7 received. Upon reaching, he rapped on the door impatiently. "Hai, hai, I'm coming." The door opened to reveal Kankuro. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" "Is Naruto home?" "Nope, he's not back yet." At this Sasuke's frown deepened. "Thank you." He turned to leave. Kakashi had told him to inform Naruto, directly. [Great. Now I'll have to find that dobe.] He headed off to the training grounds, hoping to find him there. 

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Sakura's home

[I wonder what's wrong with Naruto-kun? He didn't even turn up today which is a rarity. Even if he's sick, he'll drag himself to meet us. And yet…] The pink-haired kunoichi stared worriedly at the ceiling. Their sensei had declared that Naruto probably wasn't coming after a few hours wait and ordered her to go home. Sasuke, on the other, was supposed to go tell Naruto about the mission they've received. Sakura sighed heavily. Naruto had been acting weird lately. Sometimes, when he thought she wasn't looking, his face lost the smile and there were times Sakura noticed the sorrow in his eyes. And being the Naruto that he is, he put on a show by being loud, ignorant and cheerful. [He seemed to find it difficult to maintain that mask lately and he wouldn't confide in us. It's like he's growing distant.] 

Suddenly there was a knock on her door and her mother popped her head into the room. "Sakura, Sasuke-kun is here to see you." Immediately, all thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as she bounded downstairs to meet her teammate. "Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke restrained from covering his ears and remained expressionless. Even when Sakura's with Lee, she still had the tendency to act like that. Well, habits are hard to change "Have you seen Naruto?" "I have no idea. I thought Kakashi-sensei asked you to find him?"  "That dobe left his apartment early and haven't returned yet." Sasuke said icily. "I couldn't find him at the training grounds."

"Well, did you try the ramen shop?" Sasuke mentally slapped his forehead. Of course, why hadn't he thought of that? He turned to walk away but Sakura stopped him. "Sasuke-kun, wait! I'm coming too." "Kaasan, I'm going out for a while!" she yelled into the house before running after Sasuke's retreating figure.

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At Ichiraku

"Naruto? No, he hadn't been here at all today." Kiba answered Sakura's query with a mouthful of ramen. Sakura and Sasuke frowned visibly. Shikamaru looked at them and then said "What's the problem?" Sakura quickly told him about Naruto's absence. The others there, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino, nodded. Indeed it was strange for Naruto to miss any training, he was always so enthusiastic about it. Said it was essential for him to train to become Hokage. "I'll help you look for him." "Mendokuze." They turned to leave.

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Somewhere along the streets

Shikamaru yawned for the fifth time as Kiba continued to walk around asking about Naruto. So far they weren't making progress. But something else bugged him. Some of the older villagers avoided eye contact when they mentioned Naruto, some visibly scowled or darkened, while others looked like Kiba was going to bite them. Shikamaru scowled. He didn't understand why they had to be afraid of Naruto. Sure, he had the Kyubi inside of him but Naruto was still Naruto. Shikamaru simply couldn't see the point of regarding Naruto differently, it was too troublesome.

Kiba was currently thinking along the same lines. He was growing impatient. Can't these people give straight answers? To hell with discrimination, to hell with prejudgment. [Why are old geezers so damn narrow-minded?] Kiba didn't like narrow-minded people. They treated everything odd like a taboo. Things they can't accept, like two people of the same sex who love each other. Yes, he'd admit he was gay and right now he's in a relationship with Shino. No one so far knew about this, and Kiba wasn't eager to let them know, especially not his parents. He was content with the way things were going. 

Snapping out of his reverie, he approached another man. "Ossan, have you seen a boy with blond hair, about this tall? He goes by Uzumaki Naruto." The man narrowed his eyes and answered in a disgusted tone "Why would you want to be around that kitsune?" Kiba could smell sake, this man must be drunk. "Don't you know that he's the kitsune? He's a disgrace and a danger to the village." The drunkard continued his ranting. Both Kiba and Shikamaru got increasingly angrier. "I don't care where he is. I hope something bad happened to wipe him off the planet." 

That was all Kiba could stand. He moved forward intending to punch him, but before he did anything, the man was lying on the ground holding his face. Kiba turned his head. Shikamaru had his fists clenched and he looked scary. "Don't speak like you know him. You don't. Yeah, we know he's got Kyubi but he's still human like the rest of us." "But he could kill us any time!" "Kyubi could, and Naruto's the person who's holding it back. You should be damn grateful for his sacrifice to be the Kyubi's vessel. It's not like he got a choice anyway." Then, Shikamaru simply walked away. Kiba stand rooted on the spot. Was that Shikamaru? The calm lazy-ass Shikamaru? He sounded so dangerously calm that it scared Kiba to see this other side of Shikamaru. "Oy, are you coming or not?" Kiba regained his senses and ran to catch up. He decided that an angry Shikamaru wasn't a good thing.

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Somewhere at the edge of the forest

Sasuke leapt up a tree, trying to get a better view. He was feeling pretty much on the borders of his short fuse and the heat wasn't making things better. He leapt to another tree, grabbing the branch with chakra-concentrated feet.  After a little while he finally lost his temper and let a frustrated yell, "Where the hell is that dobe?" Suddenly, he heard a soft rustle in the leaves and a few shurikens shot out, headed for him.

A/N: Well, that was Chapter 3. I think it's kinda short but okay maybe. Hontou ni ureshii ne! I got a review from Ookima-san, who's one of my favourite authors. I don't know about you, but I like it when Shikamaru punched that guy (Hell yeah! You go, Shika!) Just wanna show that he cares a lot about his friends and can express other emotions other than boredom. Oh, and for the KibaShino fans out there, gomene, there won't be any hints of it going on. I just wanna relate to my sister's fanfic. I'm really sorry if you were looking forward to it and feel disappointed. If you want, you can go check up Three For Three by **sachiroyurei**. It's got KibaShino in it. Please review now that I've removed that cursed block, kami-sama knows how it got activated. Ja, arigotou.         


	4. Kissing Instincts

A/N: Hiya people, I'm finally back after being deprived from this story for I-don't-know-how-many weeks. I had a stupid case of writer's block, too much homework and trying to balance with my new fanfic. Thank you to **poofspoon** for reviewing my 3rd chapter. So here's chapter 4. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto coz I ain't a Japanese guy.

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

_Italics _flashback/emphasis

= = = changes in scene/time

Chapter 4: Kissing Instincts  

Suddenly, he heard a soft rustle in the leaves and a few shurikens shot out, headed for him.

Sasuke quickly grabbed a kunai and deflected the shurikens. [Sand?] A figure left the camouflage of the dense leaves and stepped into view. "If you want a fight, it'll have to wait, Gaara." The red head simply said in monotone, "You were making too much noise." Sasuke's eyebrow twitched but he held his composure. "Whatever. Have you seen Naruto?" "No." Sasuke was on the verge of burning anything in sight but he held his temper. [When I finally find that dobe, I will kill him for wasting my time like this!] He turned to jump off but Gaara seemingly had not finished his sentence. "I don't know where he is, but we should leave him be right now." "What do you mean?" "I can feel…Naruto's feelings are in turmoil. He may want to be left alone." "How do you know?" "Call it a demonic bond, between two people who feel the same pain and longing." "I don't understand."

Gaara looked at Sasuke straight in the eye. "Of course you wouldn't, Uchiha." Sasuke let a low growl escape him. Gaara either didn't hear that or he was ignoring it. "How would you understand the feeling of having something inside of you, something you hate so much, something you would give anything to get rid of? Perhaps you have never seen behind all these. We are alike, Naruto and I." Sasuke didn't reply. Gaara stared at the far off horizon. "Before, we were, alike in many ways, yet there was a huge difference between us. We were both containers of demons. For that, people hate us, fear us. They make many attempts to kill me and break his spirit. We were both strong. But my strength came from hatred, to prove my existence by eliminating others. But he…his strength came from protecting those important to him." _"I won't let you hurt those people important to me…Even if you tried to kill them, I will stop you."_  "He was stronger than I was. I didn't understand at first." _"Why do you go so far for other people's sake?"_ Sasuke looked up, surprised at the emotion in Gaara's voice. _"They saved me from the hell of being alone. They acknowledge my existence…That's why they're all important to me…"  _

"He was the only one who understood my pain." Sasuke couldn't speak. Gaara looked like he was recalling something. "He seeks acknowledgement from everyone else in this village. He…_We_ seek acceptance from people around us. We seek recognition that we are us, not the demons that lie inside of us." Gaara turned to look at Sasuke again. "Would you understand the loneliness and the pain of a demon, Uchiha?" Sasuke would've been startled if he hadn't been a master at controlling his emotions. [His eyes…are so empty. I never knew they bore so much inside them.] "I think we should leave Naruto alone for now. He will be alright." [He speaks about him with so much confidence.] "Fine." [How well do I really know Naruto?] Sasuke mused to himself as he went to tell Kakashi about Naruto.   

Meanwhile, Kyubi was still telling Naruto about his past life.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

"Ah, Kyo-kun, here to see the flowers again?" Kyo smiled at the brunette in front of him. "Hai, Shuri-san." They had got to know each other better in the past few weeks. In fact, so much better that they had resorted to first names. "Tsukishi-kun," A pregnant Sumire came in with a pot of tea. "Have some tea." Kyo hastily stood up. "Yamanaka-san, you really needn't. Please take a seat. I can help myself." He led her into a chair and sat her down. Sumire smiled, "Really, you act like Shuri sometimes." "Can't risk a pregnant woman getting hurt." "Sou yo!" Kyo turned at the voice. Shuri stood at the counter with her hands on her hips, lips pouted in a teasing manner. 

"How is the baby?" Sumire grinned and patted her bulging belly lightly. "Baby's fine. It's been pretty active lately." "Tadaima!" A voice rung from the entrance of the shop. "O kaeri nasai, anata!" "Tsukishi-san, you're here too." "Yamanaka-kun, how are you?" Kyo greeted Sumire's husband as he walked in and kissed his wife on the cheek. "How are you feeling, anata? You look a little tired." "I just went to give the Hokage the report of my mission. So, how's my little baby?" "Baby's happy to see you. Ah, it kicked again." (A/N: Don't think they have ultrasound there, so they won't know it's a girl or boy.) "Naughty here, aren't we? I know you missed me but you didn't have to kick your okaasan." Inoshi mock scolded the baby. Kyo and Shuri laughed at that while Sumire told her husband that the baby's just excited. After some time, Kyo excused himself and left.

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The next day, Kyo again went to visit the Yamanaka Flower Shop. There he stayed for the next few hours. He walked around, looking at the flowers. Sometimes he would hold the petals in his fingers and feel the smooth, velvety surface. He spotted the white lilies in a corner and picked one. Stroking the large flower, he smiled softly to himself. _"Kyo-kun, if you like to come and see the flowers so much, why don't you buy one?" Shuri asked. Kyo smiled as he answered her, "I travel around so I don't have money on me. Besides, if I buy the flower today, it will wither tomorrow. It's better to come see the flowers everyday." Shuri looked a little surprised. "You don't have any money? Then how do you get food and other things?" "Mother Nature provides a lot of resources." "Sou ka? Ah, chotto matte ne?" And she ran out. She returned a while later with a rather big white flower. She handed the flower to Kyo. "Here." "For…me?" Kyo asked, surprised. She nodded. "It's a white lily." Kyo took the lily and stared at the beautiful bloom before saying to her, "Demo, Shuri-san, I can't pay you." "It's a gift, baka." "Arigatou…"_

"I'll be out for quite a while. Are you going to be alright?" Kyo heard Shuri say to Sumire. "Hai, hai." He went in to see what they were talking about. "Shuri-san, going out?" "Hai, I'm going to there forest to collect some seeds. Certain flowers only bloom at this time of the day." "Would you mind if I came along?" "Iie." So, Kyo went with Shuri into the forest.

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Shuri walked slowly, skimming the vegetation for the flowers she was looking for. Kyo just followed behind her. Watching her silently, Kyo felt something surged in his chest. Shuri continued to walk. After a few steps, she noticed that Kyo had stopped in his tracks. She turned to face him. He looked like he was having an internal struggle or something like that. "Kyo-kun?" She approached him with concern in her dark eyes. Kyo looked up and Shuri was a little frightened. Kyo was looking at her oddly. [Is he sick?] "Kyo-kun…!!" She faltered as Kyo grabbed her and kissed her roughly. She froze in shock as her mind went blank. Two seconds later, Kyo released her as though he was burned. He was shocked with what he just did. "Su-Sumanai! I didn't mean to-I wasn't thinking! I just, lost control! Sumanai!" He said again before he took off into the forest. Shuri just slid to the ground, the event still registering in her mind.

Tadaima-I'm home/I've returned

O kaeri nasai-Welcome home

Anata-Informal word of saying husband, also means 'Dear', also word for 'You'

Chotto matte-Wait (a moment)

Demo-but

Baka-Stupid/Silly

A/N: Yes. It. Was. LAME!! Scrape that, it was the blandest thing I've ever wrote! Still, I hope you find it okay. In the next chapter (Ah! Spoiler Alert!) Shuri's gonna find out that Kyo is Kyubi. Please review. Arigatou! ^_^     


	5. The Fox Unmasked

A/N: Many thanks to **WolfGirl13** and **anime qeeun** who reviewed my past chapter. Well, I thought the chapter was bland coz there didn't seem to have enough feeling, you know? Anyways, let's get it on to Chapter 6. 

Disclaimer: I don't know why I even bother to do this since everyone knows Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto.

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

_Italics _flashbacks/emphasis

= = = changes in scene/time

Chapter 6: The Fox Unmasked.

_"Su-Sumanai! I didn't mean to-I wasn't thinking! I just, lost control! Sumanai!"_

"Shuri. Shuri!" The dark-eyed Uchiha snapped out of her thoughts as Sumire placed a hand on her shoulder. "Doushite? You're so distracted lately. Are you sick or something?" She placed a hand on Shuri's forehead. Laughing lightly, the brunette removed her friend's hand. "Nanimo desu." Sumire sat back in her chair, sighing to herself. "I wonder where Tsukishi-kun had gone. He didn't even leave a notice." Shuri stayed silent, memories of the last incident flashing across her mind. "Now that I think of it, you don't seem much like yourself since Tsukishi-kun left." Sumire intelligently concluded. She leaned forward and stared into Shuri's eyes. "You're missing him." Shuri blushed and backed up. "I-Iie!" She exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. Sumire gave her a suspicious look. The Yamanaka clan was renowned for their mind controlling jutsus and Sumire was not one easily fooled, especially when her best friend was acting strangely. "You're blushing. Does that mean you two had something going on?" "Chi-Chigaimasen!" Sumire continued to glare at Shuri, as though the kunoichi will immediately begin telling her things. After a moment of silence, Sumire removed her eyes from Shuri.  

"Come on, don't fool me. You're so easy to read, Shuri." Shuri blushed a little more and avoided her friend's eyes. "Did something happen?" Shuri shook her head and looked down. Sighing, the pregnant lady gave up on pursuing the subject.  "Okay if you don't want to talk about it." Shuri got up and said, "I'll be heading out today." "Hai, ki o tsukete yo." "Hai."

* * * * * *

Shuri walked down the forest path, not really aware of where her legs were leading her. Before she knew it, she had already ended up in the spot where she last saw Kyo. Remembering the sudden kiss he gave her, she raised a hand and touched her lips. [Kyo-kun, why did you do that?] Suddenly, Shuri was interrupted by voices of men. She noticed three men walking towards her, speaking loudly. She saw from their hitai-ate that they were from the Konoha. Noticing the bottles in their hands, she knew they were drunkards. [Getting wasted so early in the day.] Shuri made sure not to make any eye contact and walked past them. 

The men saw Shuri walking past them and soon surrounded her. "Ojouchan, play with us, eh?" Shuri cautiously observed the men and tried to walk past but they stood in her way. The three men began to close in on her. [What now? I don't have any weapons with me. Not even a kunai.] Although she was rejected by the Uchiha clan, she could still fight to defend herself. As one of them pulled her towards him, she could smell sake on his breath. He gripped her wrist tightly. Shuri gritted her teeth and spun around, flinging the man off his feet. 

"Why you bitch!" They started to pull out kunais and shurikens, ready to attack Shuri. [Shinobis?] She didn't have time to think as the first man, Jeru threw a kunai at her. She easily sidestepped that but had to jump aside to avoid to rain of shurikens that followed. The other man, Isetsu, launched towards her. Picking up the nearest kunai, Shuri ducked under the large man and tripped him. Isetsu went flying into a tree. Wake, the third man, began to perform hand seals, one that Shuri recognized as… "Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu!" She hit the dirt as the hot flames missed her by inches. [For drunkards, they still keep a good sense when they fight.] Shuri was so busy with keeping an eye on Wake that she didn't see Jeru running towards her. He tackled her into the ground. Shuri struggled as hard as she could but Jeru was too strong to push off. The men smirked evilly and Shuri began to panic.

As they advanced on her, a sudden blur shot out of nowhere and knocked Jeru off Shuri. Shuri sat up quickly and began to witness the commotion that took over. There, in the middle of the clearing, a huge brown fox had Jeru's shoulder in his jaws. His two other companions stared at the kitsune before trying to rescue him. Wake did another set of seals. "Katon, Housenka no Jutsu!" he screamed and released the fireballs towards the fox. It was smothered in flames and Wake smiled triumphantly. It was short-lived however as the fox swept it mighty tail and knocked him into a tree. The fox was practically uninjured. Isetsu rammed his shoulder into the fox. Growling, the fox lashed out a paw and left three long slash marks in his back. The three shinobis picked themselves off the ground and ran off before the fox could do anything else to them.

The fox then turned around and approached Shuri, who backed up a little. It stopped in its tracks. For one long moment, Shuri just stared into the fox's eyes. They were red and looked very familiar. The eyes also conveyed a certain feeling. Suddenly, the fox turned away and began to retreat into the forest. Shuri snapped out of her gaze as she realized who the fox was. She stood up quickly and cried, "Kyo-kun! Matte!" 

Doushite-Why?/What's wrong?

Nanimo desu-It's nothing

Chigaimasen-No!/It's wrong

Ki o tsukete-[Please] be careful/Take care

Ojouchan-Miss/Girl           

Matte-Wait!

A/N: Well, that's the chapter. How'd you like it? I know it's short but that's the sequence of events. I'm like, having major writer's block and the mountain of schoolwork isn't helping! Now that Shuri knows about Kyo aka Kyubi, how will she react? That's for you to find out in the next chapter! Please R & R ne? ^_^


	6. Confession, Acceptance

A/N: First thing, gomen, gomen, gomen! I'm soo sorry for not updating for so long! I had just finished my mid-term exams. I was not allowed to use the computer during the few weeks. Please forgive me!! Thanks to **Ookima, Wolfgirl13, Yanlie** and **Shadow Eclipse** who reviewed my last chapter. AH, I made a mistake! The last chapter was supposed to be chapter 5, not 6. Well, here's the _real_ sixth chapter. I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"…" talk

[…] thoughts

= = = changes in scene/time

Chapter 6: Confession, Acceptance.

She stood up quickly and cried, "Kyo-kun! Matte!"

The brown kitsune froze in its tracks. Shuri tentatively called out his name again, "Kyo-kun? Kyo-kun desu ka?" Slowly, she began to approach the fox. When she drew nearer, the fox suddenly bolted into the forest. "Matte!" Shuri cried and ran after it. Shuri was now positive that this fox was Kyo. [But how? Did Kyo-kun use Henge no Jutsu? But he wasn't a shinobi. Or…was he?] She looked to her left and right. [Where did he go?] She chose to go left, pushing branches out of her face. The sky was darkening but Shuri didn't care. What she wanted now was to find Kyo. After a while, the sun had given way to the moon and the night sky glittered with stars.

Shuri wandered in the dark forest without any idea she was heading to. [Great, now I'm lost.] The forest seemed so much more unnatural during the dark. The trees cast eerie shadows and now and then some forest animal will scurry pass her. There was hardly any light and Shuri stumbled many times. Suddenly, she heard a light rustle in the bushes and headed towards it. "Kyo-kun!" she cried, hoping it was him. No response. She continued to walk on. "Ky-Aaaaah!!" The ground beneath her had disappeared and Shuri plunged into a dark chasm. Shuri instinctively grabbed for something to hold on to. She managed to hold onto some rock jutting out, but her fingers were slipping. Just when her fingers lost strength and she began to fall, a hand clutched hers quickly and hauled her up. Once on safe, solid ground, Shuri was able to breathe properly again.

The reassuring presence beside her lightly patted her back to calm her but said nothing. It was only after she got over her shock did Shuri look up to thank her savior. It was so dark, she had to squint. Her dark eyes widen visibly as they stared into the other's red eyes. "Kyo-kun!" Shuri embraced him, only slightly aware that his chest was bare. She found comfort in his warmth. Kyo gently pried her off and turned her around. Shuri was confused, "Kyo-kun?" Kyo stopped her from turning around. "Don't. I'm…not dressed right now." Kyo blushed lightly as he explained. Shuri went a deep shade of crimson as she remembered the brief skin contact they made just now. "Wait here." Kyo said quietly. "No, wait! Don't go off again, Kyo-kun!" Shuri almost wheeled around to confront the blond. "I want to talk to you." There was a short pause before Kyo replied, "Okay, but let me get my clothes first." "Where did you place them?" Sensing the hesitation in her voice, Kyo sighed, "I'll bring you to where I live. Get onto my back." When Shuri turned around, she was surprised to find the previous brown fox in Kyo's place. "Get on." Shuri was taken aback, but recognizing Kyo's voice, she only nodded and obeyed. Climbing onto his back, she held onto his neck, careful to not to yank at his fur.

The kitsune took off into the forest, running at a fast pace. His paws barely touched the forest floor as Kyo headed to his home. The wind felt cold against her face, but Kyo's fur was very warm. Shuri snuggled into the brown fur, enjoying the ride. Soon, they arrived at the mouth of a cave. Kyo padded into the unlit cave and Shuri slipped off his back. While Kyo moved further into the cave to change into his human form, Shuri tried to get a fire started to light up the dark cave. She soon got a warm fire crackling, its glow brightening the cave. She noticed it was dry and airy but bare. Just then Kyo entered, clothed in a simple shirt and long pants. He walked towards the fire and sat down beside her. For a while, silence filled the cave.

As Shuri opened her mouth, Kyo braced himself for the questions that will come. He had seen this coming. Shuri had taken the moment of silence between them to properly phrase her questions. There was so much she wanted, needed to know. She decided to start with his transformation. "Kyo-kun, how did you change into the fox? Are you a shinobi?" Kyo considered for a moment. [Should I reveal my real identity? I want to, but…is it wise?] Shuri waited patiently as Kyo seemed to be having an internal conflict. [Will she fear me and hate me like the other humans?] A long silence, Kyo finally answered. "I am not a shinobi. I…am something else, something much more dangerous." Kyo looked straight into Shuri's dark eyes. Throwing caution to the winds, he broke his secret to her, "I…I am a demon." "A demon?" Her voice showed that she was unconvinced. Kyo sighed and got up. "I can prove it to you but are you sure you will want to see this?" Shuri merely nodded. [There won't be any turning back once I show her, but…I, she deserves to know.]

"Have you heard of the Kyubi no Kitsune?" Shuri nodded, wondering what this had to do with Kyo. He closed his eyes and suddenly there was a loud poof and smoke. All the while he was hoping, praying in his heart [Please…don't hate me.] After it cleared, standing in front of Shuri was a large fox. Just that this fox had nine long tails and his fur almost a burnt red. Shuri gasped and her eyes widen dramatically. She recognized this kitsune from the stories she had heard of when she was young. A demon fox with nine tails, red eyes and thirst for blood. "You're, you're Kyubi…" Another poof of smoke and Kyubi turned back into his human form. He pushed his bangs out of his face, not daring to meet the young Uchiha's eyes. "Hai. That is what I am. The demon fox." In Shuri's mind, everything began to click. His strange behaviour lately, his reluctance on letting out details about himself, his excuses when he disappeared at night. [No, he can't be the bloodthirsty Kyubi in the stories. Kyo-kun has never hurt anyone. This isn't true!]  

Kyubi turned around. [I knew this will end this way. It was foolish to expect her to react differently.] After all, what god does a demon pray to? Kyubi walked out of the cave quickly. He needed to get away, before that aching feeling in his chest become worse. Before Shuri openly rejected him, for what he was. Seeing his retreating form, Shuri realized that her love runs deeper than this barrier. Kyubi was almost halfway from the mouth of the cave when he was stopped by Shuri. Shuri hugged the taller figure from behind, burying her face in his back. She felt his body stiffened. "Onegai, don't leave me…like the other day." She whispered softly. "Demo, I'm a demon. Don't you hate me, like the rest?" "It doesn't matter to me. Demon or not, you're still the Kyo I knew, still the Kyo I trust and still…the Kyo I love." Kyubi was stunned. He slowly turned to face the young woman, whose eyes were crying out at him to stay. For a moment, Shuri saw Kyubi's soul. His fears, his insecurities, his loneliness. She reassured him with a smile. "I meant what I said." Kyubi crushed her with an embrace. For the first time ever, he found cure to his solitude. "Arigatou…" Kyubi whispered into Shuri's ear. "Thank you for accepting me, for loving me as what I am."

Matte-Wait

Kitsune-Fox

Onegai-Please

Demo-But

A/N: How was the chapter? I hope I did well. It isn't exactly easy to express the feelings in the right words (not for me anyway) Please review to let me know what you think about it. Ja ne.


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